How to Choose the Right Hockey Stick

Just starting out or looking to enhance your skills? Choosing the right hockey stick while greatly improve your performance. Here are some features to look for to find the perfect hockey stick for your game:

Material

You need to decide between wood, composite, or two piece. Wood is most traditional material, but it’s as commonly used now. A heavier stick will help beginners feel the puck better to ensure proper contact. Composite is considered a better option for several reasons. It doesn’t absorb water and last longer because it doesn’t warp. Two piece pieces allow your to change out the shaft or bland without having to replace the entire stick. You can choose a solid one piece stick and blade if you know what type of blade and stick you prefer.

Size

Youth -Kids under 7

Junior – 7+

Intermediate – 7+ (use if junior sticks are too short or not stiff enough)

Senior – 13+ (Adult)

Flex

A stiff shaft will decrease shot accuracy and puck speed. You need some flex in your stick to make shooting and passing easier. The proper flex you allow you to bend the shaft when you take a slap shot.

Youth – 40

Junior – 50-52

Intermediate 65-67

Senior 75-110

Grip

You need to decide you like playing hockey with or without a grip on your stick. Hockey sticks without grips allow you to easily move your hands up and down during shooting and passing. However hockey glove can get sweaty during play with will make it hard to grip the shaft. You can have the grip cover the entire shaft or only where your hands are locate. The grip will help you control your stick if your stick is wet but is not necessary. Try a hockey with and without grips to see which one you prefer.

Lie

Lie is the angle the shaft is at when the blade is sitting flat on the ice. If you skate lower to the ice you will want a higher angle than a player that skates upright. Sticks range for 4.0 to 6.0 angle lies in half increments. The most common are 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 lies.

Curve

Depending of what type of shoots you like to play or what position you play will determine what type of curve or blade pattern you should use. If you are unsure or just starting out, you can pick a moderate curve until you figure out what works best for you.

Remember that all of these tips are just suggestions. You will probably need to play around with different types of sticks to find the one that works best for you.